davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
Notes From the Far West.

EDITOR ALERr-Spokane Fails at pres
ent is one of the liveliest places in the
west. Buildings going up on all sides.
The water power Is immense. There IS at
present two very large -four mills, two
saw mills running and contracts let for
more, one that will take III million
of brick, and there Is a very large factory
nearly completed with number of other
industries about the city.
There are several W holesale stocks and
Very fine retail stores here. The mines
IN this vicinity are being developed ex'
tenslvely, and the amount of trade done
by this city with them alone, Is immense.
1t is also the main distributing point for
this country in every direction. The city
is lighted with electric light, and has a
good system of water works. The cold
est weather they have had is about 10
above, with very light fail Of snow that
went of at once. The natives all think
that his climate, summer and winter, Is
just right. Tney have very htte use for
overcoats and caps. The CITY IS built on
rocks and gravel, and the streets are
splendid and ell of the land have seen
is the same but the stories they tell OF
what they can Iaise here, would make
even an old Dakotan blush for lstance
the gentleman l am stopping with told
me that last summer, on ~ acres of
ground, he raised $50 bushels of pota-
Loes.
This is at present real western town,
full of saloons and gambling houses that
run Sundays and every other day. There
are about l25 Chinese who are at present
celebrating their New Years by trying to
see how much money they Can send up in
fireworks. The Spokau tribe OF Indians
live near here, and the streets are full of
them. The coal used here is the same as
Iowa coal, and costs eight dollars per ton
and wood IS three dollars per cord.
House rent at present is about
EIGHT DOLLARS PER ROOM,
per month, and not a vacant house to be
had of any kind IN the city. Everything
is sold by the pound or ton, and there is
no quarters or half dollars. La speaking
of money, it is two bits, four bits etc.
They have no pennies yet. Tne smallest
coin Is the nickel. TIE people here
think this will be second minneapolis in
couple ofyears and spectators are max
ing things lively in real estate, and must
say this looks more like city than any
place west of Minneapolis, except IN the
absence of good hotels, of whl:h they
haye none. A ,briGk h 'tel isejnst being
finished of about IS rooms. Common
lumber is to 10 dollars per NJ, brick is
81 so per NJ, Hay IS $l5 per ton, the best
flour is 81 80 per hundred, but ice is dear.
Th>re has not been particle on the
river this winter and 40 frost ou the WIN
dows. More anon.
E. s. NJ.
SPOKANE FALLS, Jan. Is. 'S7.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
already graded VIII give Mitchell ant

already graded VIII give Mitchell and
Wateuown each an additional railroad,
under separate management, and the
building of other new lines and exten-
tions will probab do as much, at least,
for Aberdeen and Bismarck, and may do
the same for Huron, jamestown and
Pierre. Aberdeen and Bismarck arc
each hopeful Of securing two new roads
within the next twelve months; Water
town has nearly as strong hopes of q
second new road; Sioux Falls ls reaching
out after another line, and there are q
number o. projected enterprises, several
OF which may take shape during the
year, but which at the present tine bring
I'D the rear CT the immense possibilities of
Dakota for the future.
"The total railroad mileage of Dakota,
hearing date OF December 3lst, 1886, IS
3, ,491 miles.
One company has mileage of over one
thousand miles. namely, the Chic 'go,
Milwaukee s. St. Paul railway, with
l,o46 miles.
cit was only few years ago that a
thousand miles of track in Iowa was a
good deal Of road for a single company TO
have. Next year Dakota will have It's
second railway with 1000 miles of COM
pe,ed road, and within Two years, in all
probability, there will be at least four
companies boast,ng from 1000 to 1,20U
miles OF track each"
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

The removal of the insane from the poor
houses to asylums, the prosecution Of tenn
perance Jaws and the furtherance 01
woman's suffrage, have been those nosti
enthusiastically pursued by her Perhaps
no other woman has been called upon 70 ad-s
dress as many legislative bodies as Mrs.s
Cougar. She has twice addressed tn0s
United States Judiciary Committee ana
once the Home Judiciary Committee on De
half of bills pending IN the general interest,"
of women and philanthropy; besides this
she has addressed the Legislatures OF New
York, Indiana, Kansas and Wisconsin.
Her knowledge of constitutional law -
unusual in woman. During the last sum.
mer Mrs. Cougar has travelled through
Great Britain studying the condition o1 tho
Irish at home and the working masses
generally, and constantly contributing ln-i
tercsting articles to the American press
upon these subjects. Her new lecture,
s.Ireland Yesterday, To-day and Forever,
has met with success and the approval o.
economists and critics. Mrs. Cougar is re-
markable for logical fuency and large
and original view of the legislative and do
nestle problems of woman's altering condis
ton.
When in her twentieth year she-being at
.hat time Helen M. Jackson-married John
D. Cougar, an attorney -at-law in Lafayette,
a graduate Of Heidelberg College, and e
successful business man. Mr.. Cougar has
co-operated with his wife in her various
works of reform to the extent of his oppor-
tunity. They contemplate an extensive El-
ropean tour the coming season with the
special view of noting the condition OF the
working people of the other continent
Chicago Tribune. g5
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
Replying to "F1delity."

EDITOR ALERT:-I would like space in
your valuable paper to contradict few
assertions made by Mr.. Taylor, Sunday
evening Jan. 9. MIR. Taylor uttered
libel against the people of Liberal Mo-, 10
saying that when their town was spoken
of, one would have to hold his nose,
and told his audience that one genuine
Methodist revival would DO more for that
town than all in fidelity had ever done.
Y es lndt ed, Mr.. Taylor. But would 1t be
10 a moral sense? DON'T th )se same reviv-
ais form an important factor in keeping
our divorc courts and insane asylnms
gong? ~.
Referring TO tae prosperity and growth
of the lnfdel town of Liberal, Mo a let
ter received by resident of this place
from the postmaster there, would seem to
refute decidedly the impression given In
Mr.. Taylor's sermon. The letter is as
| follows:
LIBERAL, Mo, Jan. Is, 'S7.
we nave good town, good people,
! good schools and good business. This
Wv III hoG SulCi ny COl' 'FtttIooh
any other trwn In the world, from q
moral standpoint. O course we have a
great many enemies, " ho desire to see US
fail, but there Is no Danger IN that re-
gard. All the slaLders regarding US have
been refuted from time 10 time by the
county papers. Respectfully,
+. L. YALE, 2. M.
In reference to the building erected to
| the memory Of Mr.. Paine, and which you
said was foreclos1d under mortgage, and
was now used for storing Bioles, would
like TO say, granted that all this was so,
| what has this to do with the case? Was
there never a church sold ander the ham
mei? However, the Paine memorial
building still stands as witness.
| | find the Paine building was never fore
| closed under mortgage; is dividend pay
! ing Institution, devoted to the purposes
! for which it was erected. 1t contains g
| large lecture room to which ali can gam
admission irrespective of creed, color, sex
or nationality, and there express their
views on any suhject-rent and light free,
the only condition being that respectful
language must be used. Can you and
MIR. Fidelity comply with those conditions
and is there christian church IN Amerl-
ca which extends those privileges to IN
fidels? 1t IS also devoted to liberal Sun
day school and the publication OF an able
free thought paper (tLe Boston lnvcsti-
gator) Of when several are subscribed for
IN this town. OF intiiel hospitals there aIe
severel, among which the Grard hospital
Of Philadelphia and which, oy Mr. .Gltard's
deed of trust prohibits miaister or priest
from entering on Their clerical duties.
| Now one word to Mr.. Fidelity, (j our dis
| guise is too thin.) If you were half as
familiar with the history of this country
| as you are with vulgar language and call
| ing names, you would know that m0nu
| ~ ent was built to Mr. Paine's memory IN
1889, at New Rochelle, N. Y, by his ad-
mire.s (See Johnson s cvciopedia) You
ask what he had doue to deserve monu-
men,1 With the use OF his pen he fired
| the American people with patriotism and
| made it possible for Washington TO wrel d
| his sword with success and you to live
under republican form of government.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

IT seems rather unfortunate that the
board of directors of the Northern Pacif-
lie railway company did not extend tht
distance east to jamestown, at least. ID
which needy farmers could be henehted
with the seed wheat, which the board re-
solved to loan to such farmers, at Its
meeting in New York last week. One
hundred thousand dolltrs were appro-
priated for this purpose, the wheat to. bt
paid back, bushel for bushcl, in the tail'
The extent OF country in which this great
benefit is TO be extended, is limited by the
stretch OF country from point eighty
miles east of the Missouri river, which is
about at Medina, in Stutsmau county
MANY farmers ss far east as this place,
are certainly as needy Of this assistance
as any west of Medina. The drouth here
OF course, was not as complete, nor tht
failure of crops as extensive, but many
Individuals will either have TO get seee
aned them in some wsy, or not be abla
70 put their ground now prepared, ,ntf
crop for 1887. Its estimated BY care
ful gentlemen of this city. that at leas'
tvent, ,ave psr cspt OF The ground broken
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
Clrrington News No es.

The Coopers own branch, running par.
allel with this road, seems not to have
been much affected by the recent rough
weather. Last winter the j. g. n. was
the more favored road.
Orr ,ownspeople, and indeed some Of
the farmers, are pretty badly off 1or hay.
Hardly any one has any supply OF hand IL.
1t WAS very scarce and hard 10 get during
the summer bcca use Of The drought, and
now the early and unusual snow fall nas
maguited the inconvenience into do an
right calamity.
The relief train, whic h left Jamestown
on Monday, January II, 10 Ilow out the
train buried near New ROck ford, reached
Darlington on the go, aud succee1ed in
getting out the showed up tram, return
Ing to Carrlngton on the a b, and reach
lng jamestown on The 25lh--the longest
round trip ever made on the road.
During the blockade Superintendent
Graham was in constant telcgra phc COM
municatlon with Station Agent Sharkey,
to ascertain the wants Of this community V
in the matter of fuel, supplies. etc.
The election of county officers was
completed on Tuesday by drawing the lot
for the assessorship, as ordered ny Judge
Francis. Dir. Farnam, The county clerk,
took ten gunwads Of uniform size, wrote
"Guptil'' on one and ''Hogue" on anoth.
er, sllndgolded Mr.. Dugan, shook the bal
lots IN q hat, and al the first draw MIR,
Guptll was declared elected.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

TROUBLE among the railroads inkeep-
Ing the combination rates up to the old
standard, has already developed in the
81. Paul and Minneapolis Pass niger As
socation. The Manitoba road began the
tournament ty refusing to enter into the
old agreement, and it is said, will cut
hotb freight and passenger rates, al
though the officials deny This. The late
extensions of the Manitoba toward the
Pacific coast points, the past summer,
doubtless render its share of the busl-
ness uns satisfactory, as given it by the old
rating. Another cause that Is seriously
affecting the equilibrium of railroads is
the passage of the inter. state commerce
bill, and lis probable signature by the
presid, Mt. THIS is one IF the most far
reaching measures passed by congress IN
many years. 1t upsets old methods OF
r, ilroad business, charges the system OF
charges for transportation, abol'shes the
pass system-except to employees-and if
the bill becomes law will greatly affect
the entire commercial interests Of the
country. THIS, it IS claimed, Will be done
to the advantage of certain sections
notably the lake port towns of the in
terior--and to the great disadvantage of
other parts Of the country, railroad centers
and portions of the United States, where
transportation fluctuations are most SEN
sitiveIy observed 1t will have bearing
on the price of grain in Dakota, but what
or Just how, it is yet too early to perceive.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
Dakota Railroads.

Concerning railroads and railroad build
ing in Dakota, for 1887, Lauren Dunlap,
commissioner of immigration, says IN
his excellent report to the governor:
"The total mileage of 1885 in Dakota
was l45 miles.
"The past year, 1885, has been one of
the greatest activity, and number OF
very important enterprises have been in
augurated, which have added urge
mileage during the year and promise as
much, or more, for the wear to come.
"The Chicago, Milwaukee e st. Paul
railway leads off IN the construction OF
1886, with mileage completed of 250
miles, and the 81. Paul, Minneapolis Il
Manitoba comes next, a"d close behind,
with completed mileage of 23o miles.
The additional number Of mules graded
by both these compares, and ready for
track laying, would bring the combined
total of these two roads alone up to over
700 miles, and 1t is altogether likely that
these figures would have been reacht q
but for the buried approach Of the cold
weather during November.
"The total number of Lilies OF track
laid during 1886 was 679.
"This IS l2l miles less than the estimate
of this Office in oeptembe7 last, but 1t is
believed that had the fall season been Or
dlnarily favorable for track laying, over
500 miles would have heen completed. AS
it is, the total lumber of miles compile
ted, 679 miles, and graded, 341 miles,
make together the highly credll&ble grand
total of 1920 miles.
OF this construction the Manitoba ex'
ceeded all other companies, building and
grading about 405 miles
RAILROAD CENTERs AND MILEAGE.
"The abroad civilization of Dakota is
controlling 6 the destinies of her cities and
towns. The existing railroad centcrs or
1883 have for the most part been strength
ened, and new ones are being pushed into
prominence.
"There are four cities in the territory
which have the distinct lines of three
railway companies, namely, Fargo,
Sioux Falls, Watcrtown and Aberdeen.
Of these, Aberdeen and Watertown have
each fourth railroad under way, in one
case, and graded, in another.
"Having regard only to the number OF
through and branch lines, as at present
operated, without considering ownership
tie railroad centers are to be grouped q:
follows: Aberdeen and Fargo, each, fiv'
lines; Sioux Falls and WATERFOWL, each
four lines; Grand Forks, Huron, james
town, Mitchell, Redieid and Yankton
each, three lines. 0s the latter group
Grand Forks, nedfield and Yankton are
to be credited with two separate railroads
each.
! "Durlng 1887 the construction OF lines
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

Warden Dan Williams, favors The
Alert with report of his most excellent
" conducted institution, the Bismarck
penltentlary. There haye been ninety
five convlcts registered, for crimes COM
mitted principally from ignorance and
idleness. The institution u rapidly grow
ing into a modern penlten!iary, con
Quoted on the most humane sys EN-. ye'
neglecting not the dicipllne aud punish
ment for which it was intended. The
statistics reveal some curious facts re.
gsrding the men thus outlawed from tht
world. Cass county furnished thirty
eight more than any other county
Stutsman county only has one convict, a
eaeat difference even considering popu-
Ation, and striking illustration of the
morality aud law observing character OF
the county. There are more Americans
and Ilsh than any other nationality
Laborers and farmers are the most nu
meruus classes, while the mallgned cow
boys and saloon men are on ly represented
by three IN the entire roster. Or the
religious education of the convicts, hfty
one were Catholic, thirty.six protestant
seven Lutheran, and but one with no re
ilglon. Thirty-oue were temperate, SIX
ty-four Incorporate. aSeventy-seveu
were unmarried "a good showing Tor the
restrajuinp effects of family and socia
lnf1uanceS
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
Buchanan Notes.

Mr.. T.. j Jones had quite large fam1-
ly last Frldsy-seven farmers who were
on their way home fro n jamestown took
refuge with him during the blizzard.
W, S. Britt eft Buchanan on Wednes-
day to visit friends west Of the Pipcste m,
intending to return the next day. He
has not yet put in an appearance, and
his friends here begin to fear that he at
tempted the journey on Friday and was
lost IN the storm.
Miss Mabel Jones IS in St.. Paul visitin 6
trends.
NMiss Addle Smith, who has been with
Mrs. M. E Farnsworth, for the past few
months, has returned hcme.
MIR. Strong, who lives on DR.. brakes
farm, and is wintering llS head of cattle,
reports the loss OF two cows by the falling
in of the roof of the stable, caused by
snow drifts.
Mr.. Butterfield, living northeast of Pin
gree, left jamestown on last Friday morn
ing with three COWS which he had pur-
chased. After going ten miles one of the
COWS gave out. Covering her with a
blanket, he went two miles farther, and
securing the Others at a farm house, went
pack and found the blanket, but the COW
had gone. The severity of the storm pre-
vented finding her and de!aln,d HIM at
the farm house until Monday.
Buckananl,es all agree that the storm
Of Friday and Saturday was the worst OF
the season.
Snow BIRD.
February I, 1887.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03
February l, 1887.
A Rabbit Tale.

Sioux Falls Press: "Talking about
jack rab5its," remarked the man from
Keyes, "you ought to have seen what l
saw yesterday. As we left Keyes l no.
uced the train began jumping along at
lively rate. just then short curve in
he road showed me the cause. There
was a jack-rabbit running along just
shead of the engine. knew there was
going to be some fun so went forward
and managed to get on the engine. There
was that jack-rabbit just about ten feet
.head. You know a j4ck rabbit is just
like a cow. 1t will keep on the track and
run for dear life without ever thinking
# getting off. Well, the engineer piled
on steam and the rabbit let himself out a
little until he was nothing but hite
streak between the rails. We began to
gain on him and when the fireman saw
that he said Il am going to have that
rabbit He Climbed out on the COW
catcher and told the engineer to let the
engine have her head. So he threw her
vide open and we began to close up on
The rabbit. We drew nearer and nearer
until suddenly the fireman leaned for.
ward and sna,ched The rabbit from the
track by the ears. When we began tc
look around us we found that we had
chased that rabbit for twelve straight
miles.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

AS WILL be seen in anotner column, the
much talked of bill for the removal of the
sessions of the United States court from
Yankton to Mitchell came to an issue
and passed the house late yesterday af-
ternoon. The only trouble which the
bill was expected to encounter, was
thought to be in the house and as 1t is
practically certain that it will pass the
council all that the bill now needs to be-
come law, is the signiture OF the gov
ernOr.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

along the jamestown & Northern branch,
will not be sown this spring if seed wheat
cannot be obtained without cost at first.
The prospect of an unusually large yield,
from the depth of snow and the natural
cold of the winter season, renders lack
of seed wheat something indeed to be de-
pIored and avoided by any possible
means. 1t is as much for the company's
benefit as the farmers. The suggestion
Of the whole matter first originated in
this place, and was brought to the com
pany's rotlce by citizens here, who
realized last fall the coming difficulty.
It Is hoped that the generous offer OF the
company can be extended to those &C.
tually needing it in this. vicinity, and
efforts will be maze to properly presen'
this to the officers of the road.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

THE map of Dakota, issued by Ccmmis
sioner of Immigration Lauren Dunlap, Is
probably the latest and best map OF the
great territory. MIR. Dunlap's office has
accumulated vast amount OF practical
informal ion concerning Dakota interests.
and the inquiries received and answered.
show steady foreign interest In the pro
gress and prospects of this greatest agri-
cultural portion Of the United States.
Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-02-03

THE last statement from an authorl-
tative source, is that the Manitoba will
build from a point in Sargent county,
two lines, northwest, one to the Turtle
Mountains, the other to the Mouse River
connecting with their nain line now
resting at MinOt.~ s. 'e. 5.-.s ~-..- +. ...,-